Tony's Bucket List
by Lynn DiNozzo
Summary: When the team has a near-death experience, Tony decides it's time to start doing the things on his bucket list. Find out how he crosses off things on his list! Will have Tiva! Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hi everyone! This is a new series that is going to cover most of Tony's bucket list. I'm not going to do everything on the list just because I don't see where I could go with all of them. This series is going to take about 9 weeks to get through with posting two numbers on the list every week. For this week, the prequel is counting as one of them. I hope you all enjoy this and please tell me what you think as well as follow the story! Thanks! ~Lynn D._

**-Prequel**

Pacing his living room floor in his Ohio State sweats, Tony held a single piece of paper in his hand. During the team's last case, they were all nearly killed in a bomb blast. One second slower and Vance would have been issuing a new team. After that near-death experience, Tony realized that he had no clue just how much longer he would be alive. He quickly came to terms with himself and decided it was time to start working on his bucket list while he had the chance.

Looking over the list that he'd made in his Junior Year of college, he snickered over a few of the numbers but most of them he knew were doable. Tony had spent his whole Saturday morning trying to figure out which he would do and how. After reading over his list for nearly the tenth time and narrowing it down, he sat down at his dining room table with a notebook and a pencil mapping out each item on his list to the best of his ability. Once he was finished, he plopped down on his couch with the promise to start on his list first thing tomorrow morning.

**-#1 Mastering the Art of Kung Fu**

After spending some time looking for a Kung Fu training center that was open on a Sunday, Tony grabbed a duffel with a fresh change of clothes then made the quick drive to the center. Walking a bit timidly to the front desk, he flashed his famous smile to the young receptionist then leaned up against the desk. Looking through the window directly behind the woman, he got a glimpse of the gym. "Hi," he said with a grin full of charm. "I'm Tony and I'd like to take a Kung Fu class."

Blushing a bit, the brunette stood up and handed him a sheet of paper. "You've come to the right place! Just fill this form out; it pretty much just lets us know who you are, a few medical questions then a short survey. If you need any help, I'm Amanda."

Taking a pen off the counter, he dropped his duffel on the floor. "Thank you very much, Amanda."

As she sat down with a shy smile on her face and got back to work, Tony worked on filling out the page long form. Within ten minutes he had turned everything in and was signed up for a class that was due to start at the top of the hour. Checking his watch, he decided to give himself a quick tour of the facility in the twenty minutes of free time he had.

Taking the short hallway to the left of the desk, he headed through the door of the end of it. Looking to his right, it revealed a huge tumbling pad which he figured covered nearly half of the room's floor space. To the left of the pad, settled against the wall, was a full set of weights. As he walked around a bit more, he watched two men, who he wouldn't want to meet on the street, battling it out in the boxing ring. Tony figured all kinds of people came through this facility since it was located in the middle of town.

Turning around, he made his way back through the maze of punching bags which were in front of the ring and made a mental note of the locker room that was to his left. Seeing the class instructor and a small group forming at the mat, he quickly put a change of clothes in the locker room then joined the group and introduced himself.

He soon went over to the instructor who he was sure had just been taken out of China. Shaking his hand, Tony smiled and cleared his throat. "Hi, I'm Tony DiNozzo!"

Bowing his head a bit, he smiled. "I'm Ling Wu. Welcome to our class. We're glad to have you, Mr. DiNozzo." He said with a heavy Chinese accent.

Tony had to bite his lip before correcting Ling about the "Mr. DiNozzo" because he didn't like to tell the common public who he was—taking a bit after McGee.

Pausing for a few moments, the instructor cocked his head to the side. "If you don't mind me asking, why is a man of your stature here on a Sunday morning?" he asked curiously, glancing at the rest of the group comprising mostly of college kids.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tony decided he may as well tell him. "Mastering the art of Kung Fu is on my bucket list and even if I can't master it, I'd still like to try it once and learn a little bit about it."

"Well," Ling said sincerely. "You've come to the right place!"

Stepping into the middle of the mat, the instructor put on a smile which quieted the group of nearly fifteen people's chatter. "Welcome to the beginner's class for King Fu. I'm glad to have you all here this morning! It's nice to see a few familiar faces as well as some new ones," he said, glancing quickly at Tony.

"With everyone here that is coming, let's get started. Let's have about four groups of everyone lined up," he said, gesturing to where he stood, moving to the back of the pad so they could all face him. Lining up in the second row, Tony took a deep breath and the training started.

"For those of you who don't know," the instructor began, "Kung Fu is also known and often referred to as Wushu. It is a collection of traditional Chinese fighting arts which owes its lineage to numerous regional and provincial fighting styles. It involves a wide span of unarmed and weapons fighting techniques that require a high degree of physical fitness and stamina to execute successfully."

Ling spoke as if it had been memorized for years but still spoken with much enthusiasm. "With the help of these training techniques, nearly any martial artist can begin toning vital muscle groups utilized by the strikes, kicks, stances, and blocks of traditional Kung Fu…"

While Ling was talking, Tony was deeply immersed into what he was saying. He never had the chance to learn about Kung Fu so he was paying as much attention as possible.

"…But, in our cases we're just going to focus on basic stretches and stances. Now, line up your legs so they're directly underneath your shoulders and bend over as far as you can go, preferably touching your toes. Once you get there," he said, following his own directions, "stay in that position for thirty-five seconds."

Copying everyone else, Tony bended over and held the position until their instructor called out they had reached their allotted time. As he stood back up, he let out a low groan and put a hand to his back. Yes, he ran around chasing bad guys almost every day but now he realized that he really needed to get back into shape.

After doing a few more stretches, Ling led the group alongside the boxing ring which had been cleared out and had two people go into the ring to practice kicks, strikes, blocks, stances, and forms. When it came to Tony's turn, he was paired with a well-built college kid who he had heard his name was James. After they exchanged pleasantries and climbed into the ring, Tony flashed back to the last time he was in a boxing ring over eight years ago with his boss.

Consequently, he didn't want things to end up going to the same way with him ending up on the floor within seconds. Acknowledging the fact that Kung Fu was different than boxing—or fighting—or whatever you wanted to call what had happened that day, he took a deep breath and assumed his assigned blocking stance.

Tony quickly learned that this hadn't been James' first class. It was all he could do to keep up with each new move the boy threw at him, much less try to get any of his own moves in. In the back of his mind he wondered what would happen if he was up against a criminal. Whenever he tackled one, he usually had backup close behind, but Tony knew he was on his own today.

Even though Tony wasn't holding back much at this point after gaining some leeway, he knew he had one or two more tricks up his sleeve that Gibbs had taught him. While James was circling Tony a bit, waiting for the right opportunity to strike again, Tony evened out his weight onto his back foot waiting for the next strike.

When it came, Tony swiftly grabbed James' arm and pulled it forward then used his other arm to push his back up so James lost his balance. Tony put his leg underneath the college kid to give himself more leverage to put James to the floor. After a few moments of complete shock knowing he actually did what he meant to do, he lent his hand to James to help him up. Turning around, Tony smiled as the other students began applauding him and Ling had a smile on his face. As Tony exited the ring just after James, who was looking a bit defeated but still happy for Tony, he went over to the instructor not sure what he would say about his antics.

Scratching the side of his face, Ling cocked his head to the side. "Well, Mr. DiNozzo. I thought you didn't know anything about Kung Fu."

Tony shrugged his shoulders as two more people climbed into the ring. "I really didn't," he said truthfully. "I just put everything I knew about common fighting into what I was doing and hoped I was doing it somewhere close to right."

"I must say," Ling sighed. "I've not had many students who could come in here and not need much training but you are definitely one of them. Yes, there are many different techniques and hours of training that go into it, but you do know the basics." Pausing for a few moments to look to see how his two students were doing in the ring, he turned back to Tony. "So, do you want to stay for the rest of the class or do you think you know enough to cross this off of your bucket list?"

Tony smirked. "I'll never know enough about Kung Fu to qualify even myself to truthfully cross this off my list, so with saying that, I'd be honored if you would like to let me stay and finish out my class!"

"Good," the instructor said with a slight smile, glad that not all the people were stuck up in this world. "While the rest of the students finish out their time in the ring, why don't you go over to the pad with the few other students already there and practice more of your stances."

Nodding, Tony headed over with a feeling of satisfaction knowing he was one step closer to accomplishing his infamous list.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Surprise! I finished this early, so with the help of NCISVU I've decided to post one tonight and one tomorrow evening! I hope you enjoy reading this, I had a blast writing it! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it, they mean the world to me! ~Lynn D._

* * *

**#2 Drive a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 like the one in Goldfinger**

Tony could hardly contain his excitement as he suited up in the back room of the race track's office. He'd been looking forward to crossing this off of his bucket list for weeks. Though he wouldn't dream of crashing in the beautiful Aston Martin, the fire-resistant suit was mandatory. With a heavy case-load for nearly the past month, he wasn't able to get hardly any sleep much less doing anything for himself. While he was doing paperwork last week, Tony remembered he had an old friend from college, Mark that collected old cars and refurbished them so he called to see if he had come across a rare Aston Martin. He was disappointed to hear that his friend hadn't found one, but his spirits were soon lifted when he heard his friend's brother had come across one a few months ago at an auction.

After arranging a few details, a date for him to come to the track and it had finally arrived. Zipping up the suit and taking helmet in hand, Tony headed out to the side of the track where the car was being pulled around. He was a bit bummed out when the weather turned from their sunniest on record to a gloomy day, but didn't mind as much when he spotted the car. His heart skipped a few beats with excitement as he reached it. He knew it was kind of silly for a grown man to have this kind of thing on his bucket list but he really didn't care. Tony was here, ready, and extremely excited to get this thing on the track.

He couldn't believe just how much this looked like the one in Goldfinger. He quickly noted it was down to the exact shade of grey as well. As he reached Mark who was standing next to the car nearly guarding it from his brother's instructions, Tony flashed his famous smile and Mark returned it, knowing his friend's excitement. "Are you ready? Scared?"

Tony shook his head, "Excited!"

"The manager cleared an hour on the track and said you can start her up whenever you want!"

Letting out a deep breath, Tony circled the car then put on his helmet. Climbing into the Aston Martin he got an overwhelming feeling of disbelief but looked at the circle track ahead of him and turned the key. After putting the car into gear, he accelerated and within seconds he was going nearly 90 miles an hour. As he was keeping his eyes glued to the road not wanting to wreck this beautiful piece of machinery, he could barely breathe with all the adrenaline running through his veins. Tony hadn't been happier in a long time. Ever since he was a little boy he'd wanted to know what it was like to feel like James Bond and now knew the feeling was extraordinary. It was just him, the road, and his thoughts. After a few more laps, he began to feel more and more like James Bond and he was almost sure he was dreaming. Letting himself relax in his seat a bit, he gazed up at the cloudy sky as the land whizzed past as he drove lap after lap.

His heart dropped as a few drops of water planted themselves on the windshield which meant he had to take it back to the garage. Looking at the car's clock, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when it read 70 minutes after he had begun driving. Pulling up beside Mark who was now lying down in the grass a few feet away from the track, he turned off the engine then went over and laid down next to his friend, letting the light raindrops mist his face.

After a few moments of silence between the two, Mark turned his head towards Tony. "Well, how was it?"

Letting out a sigh of pure contentment, he smiled. "Breathtaking!" he said, not being able to think of a better word. "I didn't realize how long I'd been driving—is the manager upset?"

"Nah," Mark assured him. "The appointment behind you cancelled since it's raining. He was going to call you off the track but he said he would've gotten caught up in the moment too. So, was your drive worthy of crossing it off the list?" he asked hopefully.

Smirking, Tony nodded then turned his face back towards the sky letting himself get lost in the moment all over again.


	3. Chapter 3

**#3 Discovering the Meaning of Life**

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted for the third time, standing right in front of the agent's desk.

Coming out of his trance thinking about his last bucket list adventure, Tony took his feet off his desk and sat up straight in his chair then looked to his Boss, wondering what he'd missed and praying that it wasn't anything too serious, "Hmm?"

"Grab your gear!" Gibbs repeated.

Taking a moment, Tony realized that McGee and Ziva were ready at their desks and had been waiting for him. Mentally kicking himself, he hurriedly grabbed his gear then as he made his way to the elevator earned himself a headslap from his boss. Tony glanced at Ziva who gave him a sympathetic look. He had called her over the weekend, telling her about what he'd been doing with his list and how he'd crossed off his latest number.

* * *

When they arrived at the crime scene, Tony realized it wasn't a body they were looking at but the lack thereof. A young, single dad who was a marine in basic training, Nathan Jackson, called in to report that his three year old son, Paul, was missing out his bed this morning. While McGee and Ziva were going through the boy's room and Gibbs looking around outside for anything the kidnapper could have left behind as well as searching the nearby forest to see if the little one got curious and wandered off, Tony was assigned to interview the dad.

Sitting down on the living room's couch across from Nathan, Tony pulled out his notepad. "I know this is tough, but I'm going to need you to focus." Tony said with a sympathetic tone, trying to calm the tear-stricken dad.

"Okay, I'm ready." The dad said, trying to compose himself.

Nodding, Tony began. "Where is Paul's mother?"

Nathan sighed. "She died last year in a car accident on the way home from the grocery store."

Looking down briefly, Tony bit his lip. "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you or did your wife have any enemies?"

"Lydia was the sweetest person on the face of the earth, nobody could hate her," he said with a bittersweet smile. "I'm sure I have a few enemies but definitely none that would do something like this."

Writing a few things down, Tony continued. "When did you notice that Paul was missing?"

"It was when I went in this morning to wake up the little guy for the on base day care—just like any other day." Nathan added. He put his face into his hands and let his emotions take over but a few moments later he looked back up to Tony. "Please, Agent DiNozzo, please find my son. I don't have any family besides him and I don't know what I would do if I lost him too. He's my life and soul, I just…please find him!"

Tony nodded solemnly; heartbroken for the young dad who felt like had lost everything. "Does your drill sergeant know what happened so you won't be expected to show up for training today?"

A nod from Nathan confirmed what he was wondering so Tony got up to see if McGee and Ziva had found anything pertinent to finding the young boy.

Walking into the little boy's room he began to help the two agents look under beds and behind bookshelves but after 15 more minutes with Tony's help looking they still didn't turn up with anything that would make them suspicious of anything. The agents filed out of the house with all their gear to join Gibbs' search through the wide span of the thickly wooded forest.

After two hours of Tony's nonstop talking on how everything reminded him of a different movie, McGee's complaining on how tired he was, Ziva's complete silence trying to focus on her job so she wouldn't kill anyone, and Gibbs' constant handing out of headslaps they made their way out of the woods without a single hint that a little boy had made his way through the area. They guessed no one had been back there for ages so anything out of the ordinary would have been fairly easy to spot.

* * *

Once the team had eaten a quick lunch they all sat back down at their desks and continued working on the mysterious disappearance of Paul. A few pages of paperwork later and Gibbs had Tony and Ziva go to the nearest family who was Lydia's sister, Julia, and her family. Hopefully they would get a lead that way.

* * *

After Tony knocked on the door and took a step back to stand next to Ziva, she glanced at him with a questioning look on her face. "Is there something bothering you, Tony?"

Wrinkling his brow, he turned to face Ziva. "Why do you think something is bothering me?"

"You hardly said a thing on the way here, it's very un-DiNozzo like."

"Maybe I just have something on my mind."

"You never have anything on your mind. You're Tony—all you think about is movie references!"

Tony opened his mouth to defend himself but a man opened the door and broke up their conversation. The two agents pulled out their badges and Tony spoke up. "I'm Agent DiNozzo and this is Agent David." He said, glancing towards her. "Are you Julia Lisbon's husband?"

The well-built man with well-defined features nodded. "Yes, I'm Dan. Is she in trouble?"

"No, she's not but someone close to her is. Can we come in?"

Nodding, Dan opened the door wider for them and led the agents to his living room. "Can I get you two something to drink?"

As Tony and Ziva sat down they declined and gestured for Dan to sit down as well.

Sitting down across from the two, the worried husband ran a hand across the back of his neck. "What is this about? I mean, who's in trouble?" he asked to Tony worriedly.

"This morning your nephew, Paul, went missing and we're trying to find out who would have taken him or had any reason to, at that."

Dan's heart dropped into his stomach as he heard the news. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet," Ziva interjected. "That's why we're here. We need to find out if you know anyone that would want to take Paul from his father."

Biting his lip, he looked around the house quickly then turned back towards the agents. "Lydia was a wonderful mother. So loving and caring to Paul…so much so, however, that anyone else who tried would look like they weren't even trying to parent even if they were doing a great job as well as giving it their all." Earning himself curious glances from both agents, he continued. "My wife…she has good intentions, believe me, but some days I just don't think she gets it. Ever since Lydia died, Julia has been worrying that Paul isn't being taken care of. Apparently she dropped by one day after Nathan had just been through one of his hardest days of basic training and he had fallen asleep with Paul running rampant all over the house. Of course you can understand that it wasn't either of their faults, it was just one of those days, you know?"

"So you think Julia has Paul?" Tony asked, about ready to call Gibbs.

After waiting a few moments, Dan nodded. "She left very early this morning—even before I got out of bed. She said she was going to be gone most of the day but she didn't tell me where when I asked."

"Does she usually do that type of thing?" Ziva asked when Tony got up to call Gibbs so McGee could start a trace on her phone.

"No, never! She usually just takes our two kids to school but that tends to be right as I'm leaving for work so I had to take them this morning."

"Do you have any clue to where she would have brought him after she took him?"

Don shook his head. "After today I really don't know anything. Let me try and call her—see where she is."

Nodding to him, Ziva went over to Tony who was just hanging up the phone. While Don was trying to call Julia, Ziva looked to Tony. "Was McGee able to track her phone?"

"No, she has it turned off and even took the battery out. She definitely doesn't want to be found. McGee is keeping an eye on her credit card records right now. She hasn't slipped up and used it yet but we might get lucky this time!"

Seeing Don try and give up for the third time on calling his wife, the two agents went back over to him. "Thank you for your cooperation," Tony said genuinely. "We'll have an agent keep an eye on your house just in case your wife decides to come back home. What we need for you to do is stay calm and stay home if she does try and contact you. If she does, call us immediately."

"I will. And Agent DiNozzo?" Don said as the two were stepping outside.

Tony turned around. "Yes?"

"Don't think my wife is a psycho, she's just trying to help."

He nodded. "I do understand, but it still doesn't make it right."

* * *

As Tony got into the driver's seat, Ziva slid into the passenger seat and they headed back to the agency. A few minutes later, Ziva brought up their previous conversation. "So, what _did_ you have on your mind if they weren't your movie references?"

Tony sighed as they were stopped by a red light. "Fine, I'll tell you. It's like Nathan has absolutely no other family then his son. No parents, stepparents, grandparents, or even siblings. The only thing he has is his brother and sister in law which are obviously psycho and not family material—they aren't even blood related. My point is, is that without his son, Nathan has nothing in life."

Ziva nodded and gently placed her hand on his free arm seeing just how distraught he was over this. "You don't have to worry about that happening to you. Tony, you have a whole team that quite frankly loves you and has your back. Know that, okay?"

Tony looked over at her with a softened expression then squeezed her hand, "Okay."

* * *

Right as Tony was pulling into NCIS's parking lot, Gibbs and McGee were getting into their car. Tony pulled up beside Gibbs and rolled his window down. "What's going on?"

"Julie used her credit card at a motel right off the highway, we have the address so follow us."

Nodding, Tony turned around then backed up letting Gibbs and McGee lead the way.

On the way to the motel, Ziva put up her hair as quickly as possible then put on her NCIS jacket and had Tony's in her lap for when they stopped. As Tony pulled up behind Gibbs outside of the motel he hurriedly put on his hat and jacket which was protocol then swiftly made eye contact with his partner as they exited the car and pulled out their guns.

While other agents surrounded the back of the motel, Gibbs and his team headed for room #17 where the signal was coming from. As Gibbs stood in front of the door, the three other agents had his back as he kicked the door in and announced quite loudly that they were federal agents.

When Tony came into the room with his gun drawn but he quickly put it down when he registered the scene in front of him. He was sure it was just like they were walking into a normal day. There was Julia on one of the beds with Paul in her lap teaching him how to play with his trains. She looked up suddenly with a more scared then protective look on her face. "What is going on?"

Gibbs looked at her almost in disbelief. "Well, considering you took this little boy from his father, maybe you should be answering that question."

"I'm just playing with my nephew." She replied trying to be as innocent as possible but still knowing she was in trouble.

Ziva rolled her eyes at the woman's antics and didn't waste any time to go over to the little boy who had escaped his aunt's arms and was carefully walking around the room. Kneeling down to his level and putting her hands out for him to balance on, she smiled warmly at him. "Hey little guy, are you okay?"

* * *

As Ziva and the little boy continued to have an animated conversation, McGee and Gibbs booked Julie for kidnapping and she faced serving time. As Gibbs and McGee took her to LAPD to be booked, Tony and Ziva stayed behind to deliver the little boy back to his dad.

While Ziva pulled the emergency car seat out of the trunk and secured it in the backseat, Tony carried Paul out of the hotel room and down the small hill to the car. As Tony reached Ziva who was just finishing up securing the car seat, she put a big smile on her face. "Well, how are we doing?"

Tony smirked as Paul messed with his collar. "I'm doing just great!"

Ziva playfully punched him in the shoulder then took the little boy from Tony's arms and buckled him into the seat.

* * *

After the short ride to Nathan's house on the base that consisted of a "who can roll the window down the fastest" battle between Ziva and Paul, Ziva let the little boy out of his seat then walked him down the sidewalk to greet his awaiting dad. Tony got out of the car and sat down on the hood of the navy blue Charger waiting to see Nathan's reaction.

With Ziva and Paul halfway up the sidewalk, the front door to the house flew open and Nathan and the little boy both ran towards each other very ready to be in contact after such a long, chaotic, and scary day. As the young dad picked up Paul he turned around and gave the two agents a thankful smile then headed back into the house with his son.

Ziva strolled back over to Tony and sat down beside him. "How's that for a happy ending?"

Smiling, he nudged her on the shoulder, "Doesn't get better."

* * *

Once the case's paperwork had been finished and signed, Tony got home as quickly as he could then sat down at his dining room table. Picking up his bucket list he was amazed at how much he'd completed in just under a month. Scanning it, one of the items crossed his eye that he didn't think would ever be possible to cross off but he knew that he'd finally found the answer. Crossing #3 off his list he leaned back into his chair and took some time to take in the understanding of the true meaning of life.


	4. Chapter 4

**#6 Ride Motorcycle in Ball of Death**

_"I can't believe I'm going to do this,"_Tony repeated to himself over and over again as he walked towards the line forming in front of the ball of death. At the end of the local outdoor circus, the riders had promised to let some of the public take a few spins on a motorcycle in the metal ball.

_"I'm going to get myself killed. This is so stupid. And if I get hurt—gosh if I get hurt Gibbs will kill me,"_ he kept saying to himself, trying to talk himself out of this dumb thing. He'd thought it up when he was 21 and most likely drunk.

While he watched the first few people go through and have their five minutes of fun, Tony wasn't sure if his nerves were going away when he saw that no one was getting hurt or if they were rising due to the fact that nothing was talking him out of this.

As he watched a bit longer and overheard what people were saying as they came out of the ball, he began to calm down a bit after hearing and seeing nothing but pure excitement. With only one person left in front of him he could feel himself shaking from all the adrenaline and nervousness running through him. The cool night air wasn't helping him either.

Standing there with his feet planted to the ground, Tony began to feel silly for feeling this way because he knew if he saw anyone else acting like this he wouldn't hesitate to tease them. Taking into consideration that people like him had just done this without getting hurt and the fact that only five minutes of riding in this ball would qualify himself to cross something off his list he decided for sure he was going to do this.

Taking the helmet from the expert rider standing at the entrance of the ball, he strapped it on then climbed inside. Once inside, the rider gave Tony a quick run-down on the do's and don'ts then told him to go for it and he would call out his time when it was up.

Letting out a breath full of anxiety he straddled the bike and adjusted his helmet while he waited for the gate to be closed. When it was and he gained a thumbs-up from the rider, he started the bike. Without any more hesitation, Tony revved it up and gave it some gas. All of a sudden, he was holding on for dear life as he was covering laps in the ball nearly too fast for him to count.

Feeling the combination of the night breeze as well as the added rush of air as he broke through it so quickly, he let everything completely surround him while the rush of circling inside the ball overwhelmed him with fear and excitement all at once. While he watched lap after lap pass by him he took a moment to actually realize what he was doing. There was not a day in his life he ever imagined himself doing this kind of thing and now that he was, it completely psyched him out not knowing what was the matter with him.

Breaking up the moment, he heard his time being called so he began to carefully follow the expert's instructions by slowly letting off the gas so he wouldn't flip himself and before he knew it he was at a complete stop. Taking a second to gather his bearings, he took a few breaths then carefully got off the bike, put the kickstand up, then sat his helmet on the seat.

Jumping out of the ball, Tony thanked the rider for giving him such an opportunity. Sitting down on the nearest bench, he tried to calm himself down a bit before he made the drive back to his apartment. Looking up at the night sky he let himself finally relax.

**#8 Develop a Catch Phrase**

After finishing up a long day with nothing but paperwork occupying their time, Tony and Ziva decided to go grab some dinner together. Once the partners had decided on having breakfast for dinner they hopped in their cars and met each other there. With it being late on a Wednesday night, the two had their pick of tables in the restaurant so they chose an isolated table away from the little noise there was.

Their table was for two in the corner by a window which revealed the whole street and let in quite a bit of moonlight. Once the two were seated and they took the time to get relaxed, their waiter took their orders which consisted of pancakes, eggs, and bacon for Tony and the same for Ziva minus the bacon.

"So," Ziva smiled, glad to be away from work and looking forward to a quiet evening with her partner, "how are you coming along with your list?"

Smiling that she had brought up the subject since he'd been dying to tell her about it, he leaned his elbows on the table. "It's going along pretty well actually!" he said with all the enthusiasm of a little boy with a brand new toy. "In the past month I've crossed three things off of it."

Loving how happy he was this evening, she was not about to let this conversation end. "Which are you looking to do next?"

Shrugging his shoulders he leaned back into his chair. "Well, the next on my list is 'develop your own catch phrase' but I don't know if that's really doable. Whatcha think?"

Biting her lip she leaned back, copying Tony. "I don't know but I do think it sounds like fun!" After pausing for a few minutes she continued. "But how are you going to figure out what it's going to be?"

"Not sure," Tony sighed. "I guess I'll know when I hear it!"

The rest of their evening consisted of laughing over their dinners while they shared some of their most embarrassing moments undercover. Tony never thought Ziva would ever open up to him like this _but maybe things are changing_…Tony thought.

* * *

When Tony walked into work the next morning after a fun and relaxing dinner the night before, Gibbs came in not long after and announced that they had shooting qualifications in 20 minutes. McGee went off to help Gibbs set a few things up with Tony and Ziva's promise to meet them there soon.

Tony sat down at his desk and got everything ready for their workday. Putting his feet on top of his desk to relax for a few moments he turned and looked to Ziva who was giving him a strange look. "What?"

Shaking her head she rolled her eyes as she grabbed her gun and headed towards the elevator. Flashing a quick smile to him he returned the smile and grabbed his gun, hurrying to follow her.

While the partners were putting their guns together, Ziva stifled a yawn. Tony cocked his head to the side as he looked up at her. "Didn't get much sleep?"

Looking at Gibbs and McGee about five stations down, she shook her head. "It was just one of those nights I guess."

"Are you going to be able to focus," he asked, nodding towards the bull's-eyes. "Or are you going to end up shooting someone in the head?"

Rolling her eyes, she took her gun in hand and pulled on her yellow headphones as the buzzer sounded. Taking her first few shots Tony smirked. Though good shots they wouldn't have been kill shots. When the buzzer sounded once again she pulled her gun down and headphones off. As Tony opened his mouth to comment on her less than stellar shooting, she put a finger to his lips and shook her head. "Don't go there."

Shrugging his shoulders he traded places with her then took his turn at his qualifications. Determined to show-off and try to annoy Ziva, he put extra effort into getting all of the bullets to drive through the eye of the target. Finishing his round right after the buzzer sounded, he turned to Ziva with a big grin on his face.

Ziva glared at him. "Are you trying to annoy me or are you just in a showing off mood today?"

Cocking his head to the side he took a step closer to his partner, clearly invading her personal space, "Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

As the two went over to sit down while the other agents finished their own qualifications, Ziva turned to Tony. "I think you just found your new catch phrase."

* * *

_A/N: I hope you all liked this fun update for the week! Next week we'll have a bit more of an emotional update so I hope you all will join me on the ride for that one. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it, they mean they mean the world to me! ~Lynn D._


	5. Chapter 5

**#10 Tell Dad it's Okay and #11 Watch all Hitchcock Films in a Row**

The sharp shrill of Tony's cell phone woke him out of a deep sleep early on Saturday morning. Instinctively, he put a hand over his eyes, trying to shield them from the dawn's sunlight pouring through the window. Leaning up on his elbow, he grabbed his phone off his bedside table and flipped it open, praying it wasn't a case. "DiNozzo," he said tiredly.

Abby's voice came rushing through the phone so quickly that Tony could hardly understand what she was saying. "Abs, Abby! Slow down!"

Taking a breath, Abby started over, trying to control herself. "Tony, remember when the bed frame in my guest room scratched up my wall and took almost all the paint off one side?"

Tony chuckled. "How could I forget that? I guess us jumping on the bed wasn't the best idea. Anyways," he said, getting back on topic, "what's the matter?"

"Well, Kyle is coming over next weekend to visit and he's going to be staying in that room. Timmy had promised to help me re-paint the room but he has to get the last chapter of his latest book finished by tomorrow and can't spare the time."

Reluctantly pushing his warm covers off and swinging his feet onto the cold floor, he stifled a yawn. "When do you need me there?"

"In about an hour?" Abby said hopefully.

"Sounds good, Abs, I'll be there."

"Thank you, Tony! You're a life saver!"

Hanging up and setting his phone back in its place, he fell back against his mattress. After dozing off for another 20 minutes, letting the sunshine warm his skin, Tony knew he had to get up. Jumping into the shower, he turned on the cold water so he would make sure and be awake to give Abby his full attention.

Less than 10 minutes later, he wrapped a towel around his waist then poured himself a bowl of cereal. Plopping down onto the couch, Tony turned on the morning news. As much as he hated hearing about crime or any bad news in particular outside of work, a guy still had to know what was going on in the world. Getting up a couple minutes later, he flipped the TV off, rinsed his bowl out in the sink, threw on some old jeans and an OSU t-shirt then headed out the door.

After making the quick drive to Abby's apartment, he knocked on her door. While waiting for her to answer, he looked down the 2nd floor's hallway and out to the sky, admiring the sun peeking over a few clouds, giving DC a soothing morning glow. Feeling the light morning breeze surrounding him, he let out a content breath and let his shoulders relax.

Hearing Abby's excited footsteps running towards the door, he smiled at her enthusiasm. As Abby opened the door, her braided pigtails were bouncing around a soft denim headband that kept the loose hairs from getting into her eyes. Her overalls with a black cotton t-shirt underneath pulled her whole spunky look together. With a huge smile on her face, she threw her arms around Tony's neck. "Thank you so much for coming! I know I couldn't get a whole room painted by myself in just a day."

Smiling as he pulled her closer, he rubbed her back. "It's not a problem—I'm always here for you!"

Letting go of his neck, Abby took Tony's hand and led him through her living room to the dining room table and made him sit down. "I'm going to make you breakfast first," she said firmly.

"I ate before I came. I'm ready to get started." Tony said, beginning to stand up.

Putting a hand onto his shoulder, she pushed him back down. "Let me guess. Captain Crunch?"

Tony shook his head and smiled proudly as he looked up to her. "Frosted Flakes. They're greeeaattt!"

Giggling, she shook her head and walked over to the fridge. Bending over, she pulled a package of biscuits and bacon out of the fridge. Putting the bacon into a frying pan and the biscuits into the oven, Abby went over and sat down across from Tony.

After watching Abby get everything started, Tony cocked his head to the side. "What did I do to get such special treatment today?"

She shrugged her shoulders and put a big smile on her face. "Tony," she said almost in disbelief, "can't I just do something nice for one of my best friends? I mean, you just got up at 6:15 in the morning on a Saturday for me! The least I can do is make you some breakfast."

"You're too good to me, Abs!" The friends exchanged smiles and over the next half hour they ate their breakfast and Tony listened to Abby's rambling about nothing important but he didn't mind. It was fun just to listen to her talk so quickly and passionately about even the tiniest things.

As the two were cleaning up the kitchen, Tony cleared his throat. "Are you excited to see Kyle next weekend? I mean, are you ready to open that chapter in your life?"

Sighing, Abby tossed the dishrag in her hand on the counter then leaned up against it, quickly becoming serious as she looked into Tony's green eyes. "I don't think I'll ever be ready, Tony, to be completely honest. When I first found out that I had a brother I didn't know how to react but now that I've chosen this path, I guess I just need to take a big step and see where it takes me!"

"Wish I had your confidence," Tony said seriously.

"Hey," she said, taking his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder, "there are plenty of days I see you guys in action and I've always wished I had your stamina and ability to do things, but most importantly, your confidence."

Planting a kiss on the top of her head, Tony smiled with thankfulness from her kind words and took them into consideration. "Now," he said, lightening the mood, "where's this room that needs painted?"

The rest of the morning was spent putting a fresh coat of ruby red paint onto the walls. Since Abby had already put up the painters tape and done one coat by herself, it only took a few hours for them to get the paint on the walls just the way Abby wanted it along with covering themselves from head to toe in the red color. When Tony had been stirring the paint and accidently flicked some onto Abby it had all gone downhill from there. Once the paint rollers became involved there was no turning back. As the two were sitting on the floor admiring their work, Tony looked at Abby and started laughing.

Punching him in the shoulder, Abby eventually returned the smile. "Oh shut up. You look just as bad as I do!"

Smirking, he brushed a hand across her cheek wiping some paint off of her face.

Abby smiled then got up and gestured for Tony to follow her. Pulling a red towel out of her linen closet, she handed it to him. "Here, go get cleaned up. Toss your clothes out of the door and I'll throw 'em in the wash. Your back-up set of clothes are underneath the sink."

"Oh boy, you really give them a high-class spot don't you?"

She shook her head then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, where else am I supposed to put the clothes you wear when you do odd jobs around here? Do you want me to put them on a silk pillow?"

Tony stood there leaning up against the door frame looking as if he was seriously considering it.

After earning another punch in the shoulder from Abby, he smiled. "Thanks, Abs."

Soon after, the two were rummaging through her pantry for any snacks they could find. Settling on a bag of potato chips, they plopped onto Abby's couch and put their feet up on the coffee table. Since they had worked up such an appetite, it didn't take long for them to finish the whole bag and once they did, Abby's face lit up as an idea crossed her mind. "Do you want to play a game?"

Tony turned his head towards her. "Sounds like fun! What do you want to play?"

"How about a good, old fashioned game of monopoly?"

"Let's do it!"

After she had run to her game closet, Tony heard her saying something. Going to find her to see what was wrong, he wrinkled his brow. "What's the matter?"

"Last time we played I left the game at your apartment," Abby said sadly.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tony smiled. "Then let's just go to my place."

A toothy grin spread across her face. "Let's go!"

* * *

As the two friends were walking into Tony's apartment, Tony nearly reached to protect Abby when Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, Ducky, and Palmer all shouted "surprise!" underneath a big "Happy Birthday" banner. Once he realized what was going on, he turned to Abby and looked at her with a questioning expression. "So is Kyle really coming over next weekend or was that just a ploy to get me out of here?"

She patted his arm with a smile. "He really is coming, Tony. I wouldn't lie to you like that but I did need to get you out of here!"

Knowing Tony, he'd completely forgotten his 45th birthday but Abby was sure to remind everyone and had planned to make this birthday extra special for their beloved very special agent. After some planning, they all decided a surprise party would be fun.

Eventually, he leaned over and gave her a big hug. "Well I appreciate it, thank you!"

As he turned around to greet and thank the rest of the team, Tony's jaw dropped when his dad came walking out of the kitchen and flashed his famous grin. "Happy birthday, son!"

The rest of the afternoon into the evening was spent eating ice cream and cake after the assurance from Ducky that no one was ever too old to eat it on their birthday, talking for hours, and playing monopoly with teams that comprised of: Tony and Abby, Palmer and Ziva, McGee and Gibbs, Ducky and Senior.

After a very fun day, everyone said their goodbyes and wished Tony a happy birthday once more as they were heading out the door. Once Tony closed the door, he headed into the kitchen where Senior was clearing the granite island of cups, plates, napkins, and forks. "You can leave that until morning, it's late," Tony said, knowing they'd both had long days and it was past midnight.

Nodding, Senior turned to Tony. "Did you have a good birthday?"

Tony let a smile cover his face. "It was great! You've gotta love Abby for doing these kind of things!" Pausing for a few moments, he became serious again. "How long are you staying?"

Senior shrugged his shoulders. "It was a one-way ticket so I can stay as long as you want me to!"

Tony looked at his dad a bit shocked. "You mean you don't have some meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow in Paris?" he asked sarcastically.

A sad expression crossed his dad's face as he walked towards the living room. "Is it alright if I take the couch or would you rather I get a hotel?"

Tony briefly closed his eyes, already wishing he could take back what he had said. Joining his dad in the living room, he shook his head. "No, you're taking the bed."

Senior looked to the floor, pushing aside his air of confidence. "As long as you will let me stay here I'd rather just take the couch. Last time I was in your bed—let's just say I don't want you worrying about a repeat of last time."

Tony went over to the couch to sit down and put his head in his hands, hating how every time they were in a room together alone they began fighting. "Dad, I—"

Sitting down next to his son, Senior interrupted Tony. "No, Junior," he sighed, "I'm the one who is sorry."

Tony bit his lip, then let out a deep breath. "You know what, I forgive you."

"You can't forgive me for what I did over Christmas, there's just no way."

"I can forgive you," Tony corrected his dad. "And that's exactly what I'm doing."

Senior smiled and patted Tony's shoulder as he stood up, not knowing quite what to say. He never was used to this whole dad thing and he knew he probably never would be.

"Dad," Tony said, standing up as well, "it's okay," he said as if he was letting a huge burden off of his back.

A relief like he'd never felt before rushed through Senior as he smiled genuinely. Right then and there he knew that him and his son were finally starting over and they might even have a second chance to try and figure out a father and son relationship regardless of how messed up it had been.

Quickly going into the bathroom to get ready for bed, Senior came back into the living room where the beginning of _Rebecca_ was playing on the plasma while Tony sat on the couch with remote in hand. As Senior sat next to his son once again, Tony smiled still keeping his eyes glued to the screen. "Don't think either of us will be able to sleep tonight. Are you up for a very, very long Hitchcock marathon?"

Senior returned his son's smile. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	6. Chapter 6

**#12 Experience a Wonder of the World (beside Gibbs) and #19 Discuss Paris**

Gibbs came down the catwalk stairs just a few minutes before the end of their workday and he dropped a file on both Tony and Ziva's desks before sitting down at his own. The partners shared a confused glace because they were singled out.

Looking to Gibbs, Tony flipped through the first few pages of the file. "Boss, what are these?"

"It's your comp-time. With all of you and Ziva's undercover work lately, it's piling up fast." Grabbing his coat, Gibbs headed towards the elevator. "Either cash it in or go take a vacation."

Tony looked at McGee who was confused and soon spoke up. "What have you two been doing?"

As Tony and Ziva grabbed their things and shared a knowing glance, Tony shrugged his shoulders—feeling for McGee. "It's need to know. Sorry, McGoo."

On their way out to the dark parking lot just lit by the street-lights, Tony and Ziva walked out together with files in hand. Smiling, Ziva turned to Tony. "Are you ever going to tell McGee about our undercover work?"

Tony returned the smile. "Nah, it doesn't affect him. Just us."

Ziva nodded then turned her gaze ahead of her. "What are you going to do with your time?"

"I don't know. I don't really need the money," he said with ideas already rushing through his mind. "I might just take a vacation. It's been too long since my last. What about you?"

"A vacation sounds nice," Ziva pondered. "Anything to get away from the cold," she said as a shiver from the crisp November air rushed down her back. "I'm not a fan of it since I lived in Israel for so long." A few moments later, an idea popped into her head. "Does your bucket list have any trips that we—you," she quickly corrected, "could tackle?" She quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't heard her slip-up but he was already chuckling.

"Yes, it does, as a matter of fact," Tony said after a few moments of thinking. "And I'd like some company...you know, if you wanted to come—I mean, not like a date or anything, just some company."

Smiling a bit sheepishly, she nodded. "I'd like that! What did you have in mind?"

"Number twelve on my list is experience a wonder of the world and I think if we really want a vacation and you want somewhere warm then the Great Barrier Reef would be fun! You think?"

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed. "This is Australia we're talking about! I was thinking something like the Grand Canyon!"

Wrinkling his brow, Tony looked at her in disbelief. "You mean you'd rather go to the Grand Canyon where families take their 9 year olds than to beautiful Australia?"

Rolling her eyes, Ziva shook her head in defense. "Of course not, I've never been there and I'm sure it'd be fun but still—."

"Ziva David," Tony said with a smile forming on his face. "Are you scared?"

She shook her head. "No, excited!"

Once they reached their cars that were parked next to each other, they leaned up against them.

"Sounds like we're going on vacation together," Tony said with his famous grin.

"Do not get any ideas, Tony."

Rolling his eyes, he smirked but then re-gained a serious expression. "Do you want to come over to my place tonight to start planning? There's no better time than November to go!"

After considering the idea, she nodded. "As long as you order some pizza—I'm starving!"

"Your wish is my command," Tony said as he opened his passenger door for her.

She shook her head. "I'll take my car."

"It's Friday tomorrow, you can pick it up then."

Giving up, Ziva climbed in, excited to start planning.

* * *

The rest of the evening into the night, the partners planned out their upcoming trip and booked a flight that would depart on Saturday. After Tony and Ziva finished their pizza—half sausage and onion for Tony and vegetarian toppings for Ziva—they headed to bed.

* * *

Early the next morning brought Tony and Ziva at their desks and Gibbs taking a sip of his first coffee of the day. Setting his coffee down on his desk, he looked to his two best agents. "Did you two figure out what you are going to do with your comp-time?"

Almost simultaneously, they answered, "Vacation."

Gibbs nodded his head in approval. "Good choice. Where are you two heading?"

Tony spoke up first. "I'm going to head to LA," he said after him and Ziva had decided unless they wanted to be made fun of for going on vacation together by the whole office then they'd better lie. "Last time I went—well, let's just say I'd like to make some better memories in the City of Angels."

Nodding, Gibbs turned to Ziva. "Ziver, what about you?"

"Tel-Aviv. There is still family there that I would like to see. It has been a rough year."

* * *

The rest of the day for the partners seemed to drag by as the anticipation of their fast-approaching vacation to down under started to hit them with full force. Though slow, Friday did go by with just paperwork and that evening they packed for their trip tomorrow.

At 5 in the afternoon on Saturday, Tony picked Ziva up and the next 22 hours were spent in a plane reading sky mall and using each other as pillows in between their bickering over who got the window seat.

* * *

As their taxi pulled up to the hotel Ziva had reserved, Tony looked at her hesitantly. "A bed and breakfast? Really Ziva? You do realize that this is where old couples usually stay on vacations. What is it with girls and these kinds of places?"

Smirking, Ziva rolled her eyes. "We have been partners for eight years. I believe that qualifies us to be an old couple!" Grabbing her luggage out of the trunk, she headed up the stairs of the small porch and Tony followed her reluctantly.

Once they walked inside the small but cozy bed and breakfast, they both noted the lobby's walls being a beautiful shade of sky blue then Tony took Ziva's bag along with his own and sat on the couch while she checked them in.

When they reached their room, he wrinkled his brow as he made an observation and closed the door. "One bed?"

Shaking her head, Ziva took the door on the wall that was across from the bed. "Ah," Tony realized. "Adjoining rooms. Good idea!"

"Thanks!" Ziva smiled.

Cocking his head to the side while she situated her bags in her room, he noticed that she was in a particularly chipper mood.

Dropping his own duffel bag onto the floor, he sat down on the side of his bed. "I think I'm going to just go to sleep for the night. If we want to get anything done tomorrow we'll have to get over our jet-lag pretty quick."

"It will not be hard for me," Ziva called from her room." I've had plenty of missions with Mossad where we fly across the world then are expected to get started on our task right then and there."

"Of course," he said sarcastically. "That's just what I love to be doing when I'm in another country."

Less than 30 minutes later, they had both fallen asleep with the excitement to get started on a new day.

* * *

Rolling over onto his side, Tony opened his eyes to a pitch black room and he had to take a moment to remember where he was and who he was with. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up in the warm bed. Looking over to the clock on the bedside table, he was surprised to find that it was 4:30 in the morning.

Because of the time change he felt wide awake and wasn't about ready to go back to sleep or wait for Ziva to get up when they could be doing something in this beautiful continent.

Walking quietly to Ziva's room, he was legitimately surprised to see that she was still fast asleep. Ziva was always the person to be up before anyone and everyone else to go jog or run a marathon. He wasn't quite sure which. It had always been something he admired about her though, he didn't know many women that were like that but he also knew she wasn't a normal, go with the grain, kind of girl and that was one of the things he really admired about her.

Standing in the adjoining doorway that she had insisted stay open just in case he or she "needed anything", he watched her sleep with a peaceful expression on her face. A few moments later, he turned to go into his bathroom so she could have a few more minutes to sleep and he could get ready for the new day.

Coming back soon later, he went over and sat on the side of her bed and gently rubbed her back, flashing back to how his mom used to wake him up when he was little. "Ziva," he whispered softly. "It's a new day!"

Beginning to come out of her slumber, Ziva rolled over onto her back and looked up at her partner which soon brought a smile to her face. "Good morning! What time is it?" she asked, noting that it was still dark outside.

"About five."

Wrinkling her brow, she looked at him strangely, knowing he loved to sleep in. "I thought we were on vacation."

"We are," he said defensively, "but considering we went to sleep at five in the afternoon yesterday I just woke up." Pausing, he shrugged his shoulders. "If you are still tired—" he mused, knowing it was still her vacation too.

"No," Ziva said sitting up. "I actually feel more rested than I have in a very long time."

Smirking as he stood up to go back to his room so she could have some privacy, he let out a rested yawn. "Must have something to do with sleeping so close to me."

Getting a pillow thrown at him, he closed the door just in time to block it then pulled on a forest green t-shirt and brown shorts while he waited for Ziva.

Not much later, she came into Tony's room with a white tank top and black shorts on. "What do you have in mind for 5am? I would not guess that many people are awake."

Looking out of the window, he smiled as an idea popped into his head. "Sunrise walk on the beach?"

Nodding her head in agreement, she walked out the door connected to Tony's room and onto the patio that led to the ocean.

Deserting her flip flops, Ziva walked a few steps in the sand and let the ocean breeze and smell take over her senses. It didn't take long for her to become enthralled by her surroundings and she soon became lost in the moment. A few seconds later, Tony joined her side. "Enjoying the breeze?"

Coming out of her trance, she nodded with excitement dancing in her eyes.

Noticing this, Tony looked at her funny. "What?"

Taking a look around the deserted beach, Ziva took off all of a sudden into the darkness. It didn't take long for the darkness to swallow her away from Tony's sight so he quickly closed their hotel room's door and slipped the key into his pocket then went off to go find his partner.

After just a few moments of running through the cool sand, he saw Ziva facing the ocean and letting the waves crash against her feet. Joining her side once again, he nudged her shoulder with his. "Some view, huh?"

"Yes," she said completely at ease, almost like a new person—a side of Ziva that Tony had never seen before. "It is stunning," she said, admiring the deep blue ocean that was just lit by the stars.

With a bit of a serious expression crossing his face, Tony cleared his throat. "When we were telling Gibbs where we were going, you said you were going to Tel-Aviv—that you missed your family. Is that where you would rather be…how you would rather have used your comp-time?"

Putting her head down, she let out a sigh. "There are some days that I love being in DC, working at NCIS. But others, others I really do miss what family I have left there." Pausing for a moment, thinking about her parents, Ari, and Tali that had passed away, she continued. "To answer your question, yes, I do miss my family _but_ I think that we both really needed some time away from everything—work and family. And to tell you the truth, Tony," she said, looking to him with admiration. "There is no one I'd rather spend the time with."

Letting out a small smile, Tony nodded, not quite sure what to say to that even if he did feel the same way. "Well, the next time you do go back home, I'd love to join you. You know, if you wanted me to."

"That would be wonderful! I know I would enjoy the company."

As they turned their gaze back to the skyline, a bit of pink began to peek over the edge. After admiring the beginning of the sunrise for a few quiet minutes, Tony surveyed the still empty area. "Care for a walk?"

"I'd like that."

For the next hour, the two partners strolled along the oceanside, taking in all of the new sights and watched as the area began to wake up. As they had turned around and began to head back to the hotel, all previous serious conversations had been forgotten and Tony was making Ziva laugh with all of the impressions that he had obtained over all of his years of watching old movies and TV shows.

At some point, Ziva had slipped on a rock and Tony had grabbed her hand to prevent her from falling but neither of them even thought to let go. As they passed a family that had come early to get a good spot, their little girl turned to them and asked curiously how long they had been a couple.

Ziva quickly blushed and Tony smiled sheepishly but Ziva soon re-assured the young girl they were anything but a couple but still held tightly to her partner's hand.

There was something about the security she felt when she was around him—an ability to finally relax knowing she didn't always have to be on alert with him around—a sense of comfort. She had always been a very independent woman, someone who swore she didn't need a man in her life, but Tony was different than other men. He actually cared about her, listened to her when she needed to get something off her chest, gave her the space when she needed it, but most importantly, he was there when she needed someone to catch her then to help her up when she did fall. She knew he was special and she wasn't about ready to let him out of her life.

Making it back to their bed and breakfast by 7:30, the breakfast food had just been put out and a few other guests were down from their rooms eating. Looking to Ziva, he gestured to a table for two in the middle of the light and airy room for her to sit down. Once she did, he smiled. "What can I get you?"

"You are going to bring me breakfast?" she asked, almost in disbelief. She knew he was a great guy but this was out of character for him. Maybe he actually was trying to make her happy—to care for her even more. "Yes! Now, what do you want?"

Analyzing what had been put out, she decided, "How about some fruit and yoghurt."

With a nod, Tony was off. A few minutes later, a plate was put in front of her with what she had requested plus a fresh out of the oven cinnamon roll. Knowing she'd never be able to talk him out of her not eating it, she just shook her head with a smile on her face. Taking a bite out of the roll, her eyes widened and he soon shot her an "I told you so" look.

"So," Tony said in between bites of his own breakfast, "what would you like to do for the rest of the day?"

"I get to choose?" she said, soon running ideas through her mind.

"It's your vacation too, Ziva. You deserve to choose what you want to do!" _And all of the world_, Tony added to himself.

"Well in that case," she said, pondering all of her choices, "I wouldn't mind staying close to home today and doing some tanning!"

Tony's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a great idea! Nothing screams vacation more than a day on the beach."

With their day planned, the two finished up their breakfast then prepared for their first full day in Australia. The rest of the beautiful, sunny day was spent just as they had wanted. With school still in session, the beach was fairly empty which allowed the partners to relax—or act completely crazy without being judged.

Once Tony had ventured out to the water and convinced Ziva to join him, there was no turning back. They had races through the water, searched for the best seashells, and practiced their Marco Polo skills. After they were waterlogged and skin very pruned from the salty water, Tony and Ziva moved back onto the sand.

Tony soon brought them back to his childhood by teaching her how to make a 5-star sandcastle and as Tony broke through Ziva's ninja shell— to be able to see her revert back to being a little girl, he was able to sit back and enjoy the rest of the day being perfectly content with each other's presence.

After a long, yet fun day on the beach, they both decided it was time to pack it in and go back inside. Once they had taken showers and slipped into their pajamas, they both shrieked within seconds of each other as they looked into the mirror.

Tony quickly ran into Ziva's room with a horrified look on his face. "Is it really that bad?"

Nodding her head, she looked to her partner. "What about me?"

After squinting to try and make their sunburns look better than they actually were, he just ended up shaking his head, "Sorry, Ziva. We're both crisps."

That evening they both helped each other rub some aloe on then prepared themselves for a very painful night of trying to stay as still as possible.

* * *

The next day brought a strong thunderstorm so the partners stayed inside playing card games and eating pizza, glad to have a day out of the sun, but still having a blast.

* * *

With the extra day to let their sunburns turn into nice tans, Tony thought today would be the perfect day to get something crossed off of his bucket list. Before Ziva woke up, he made reservations to go swim in the coral reef.

The second his partner did wake up, he gave her fifteen minutes to get dressed and go. Hurrying to get ready, Ziva was so excited for today—excited for Tony to get something crossed of his list and also excited to be able to be a part of it. For some reason, it was so easy for Ziva to be on vacation and spend time with Tony, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Slipping on a royal blue bikini underneath a red t-shirt and jeans, she headed downstairs with Tony to get some breakfast. It didn't take long for them to eat, get a taxi to the tourist part of the reef, and find themselves on a speed boat out to the middle of the reef. Tony was in awe of the completely beautiful day and felt like he was one with nature as the wind was rushing around him as he sat on the side of the boat while they were heading out.

Turning his gaze to Ziva who was across from him, he let an almost undetectable smile cross his face. Her hair was down and flying through the wind with her eyes closed, enjoying the beautiful day's warmth. She was actually letting herself open up to him, show him her true self and to him that was the best thing he could ever ask for.

Focusing back in on Ziva, he couldn't help but notice her beautiful body and lovely skin tone. It had been hard for him not to stare at his partner when she had shed her t-shirt and jeans. Feeling eyes on her, Ziva opened her own eyes and glanced to Tony.

After realizing that he was staring at her, she smiled and turned her head back to the waterline. A few minutes later, the boat slowed to a stop at a wooden dock and the young, blonde who had been driving walked towards them carrying two snorkeling masks with a big smile on her face. "Are you two excited?" the spunky woman asked.

Nodding, Tony and Ziva accepted the masks and slipped them on.

Tony and Ziva were both in awe of the crystal clear blue water— like diamonds were sparkling across the top of a pure paradise.

"Okay," the woman said. "You reserved ninety minutes so I'll be back around eleven! Just remember not to step on the coral because it _will _shred your skin. Oh," she suddenly remembered, "I usually recommend for couples to hold hands as they swim through the reef, it helps your balance while you are swimming on the top of the water as well as gives a more intimate feel to the swim. Alright, have a fun time!"

Sharing a glance, they thanked their guide, not about to tell them they weren't a couple, and then stepped off the boat and onto the dock. Tony smiled at her as the boat turned around and sped away then offered her his hand, "Ready to swim in the reef?"

After running a hand through her windblown hair, she gladly accepted his hand. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

Letting the water surround them and embrace them in its warmth, they put their masks on and dove into the water off of the dock. As they swam over the top of the water, they were both in awe of the wide variety of colors of the coral and various fish swimming below.

After swimming and touring the magnificent reef for nearly 25 minutes, Tony tugged on Ziva's hand, alerting her that their balance would be thrown off as he went to the surface. Coming up for air as they treaded water, Tony and Ziva pulled their masks to the top of their heads and shared a smile. "I've never seen a place more beautiful," Ziva admitted.

Tony shook his head, "Me either! I mean, I know why this place is called a wonder of the world now. Not only is the coral beautiful but the water is clearer than I've ever seen."

"The fish are beautiful as well," Ziva added, still treading the water.

"Oh definitely! Did you see that bright yellow one?"

"Yes! So beautiful."

Taking another moment to appreciate their surroundings, Tony's eyes lit up as he looked behind Ziva. "It looks like there is a shallow area a bit of the way out—wanna explore a little bit?"

"Let's go!" Ziva smiled enthusiastically as she put her mask back and then swam off with Tony right behind her.

As Ziva reached the shallow area and was about to plant her feet on the ground, Tony came up behind her and quickly grabbed her foot then pulled her up into his arms before she stood up. He carefully planted his feet into the sandy bottom of the reef so he wouldn't drop her into the sharp coral all around them as he pulled of his mask so he could see her and what was going on.

"_What_ are you doing?" Ziva exclaimed.

"You were about to put those feet of yours in a thick patch of coral. I really don't want my partner, you know, unable to walk."

Wrinkling her brow, she pulled of her mask to hold in her hand then looked back at the coral. "I wasn't thinking about that," she admitted, almost ashamed she wasn't paying attention—that she let her guard down. "Thanks for saving me from that."

"No problem. It's what partners do."

"Tony?"

"Hmmm?" he asked, looking at her.

"You can put me down now."

"Oh yea," he smiled.

As he let her down, the water on them made her nearly slip down off of him so he quickly grabbed her arms to catch her from falling once again.

It almost seemed to Tony that Ziva's ninja skills were gone and she had turned into a teenaged girl—she was clumsy. He had never seen her like this—so giddy and full of life.

Finally setting her feet on the solid ground that was free of coral, she looked up to Tony almost like she'd never seen him before. Her hair was straight and plastered over her shoulders and chest and her royal blue bikini matched their surroundings perfectly. Neither of them bothered to move and they felt each other's hearts beating rapidly as they looked into each other's eyes—cool green being melted into warm brown.

Ziva stood onto her tip-toes and rested her hands on his strong shoulders to kiss his cheek but Tony suddenly moved his lips to meet hers. At first Ziva was shocked but she soon just melted into the soft kiss with the water and sun surrounding them with a perfect gentleness. Ziva moved her hands up around his neck and Tony pulled his arms firmly around her waist. Sharing the kiss for a few more tender moments, Ziva gently broke the kiss and moved her hand to rest on his chest.

Not about to let go of her waist, Tony breathed softly, "Wow."

"Yea," she said quietly, still in awe of the moment.

Tony brushed a hand against her cheek then over her wet hair, "Ziva—" He was soon cut off by the speed boat pulling into the dock.

The two reluctantly pulled apart and tried to regain their composure as best they could after what just happened.

* * *

The next day, Tony surprised Ziva by taking her on a helicopter ride over the area they'd been staying, the town surrounding it, and a part of the reef. That evening, the two sadly began to pack their belongings back up for their flight back home tomorrow evening.

That night after they were both in their own beds, Tony and Ziva both laid awake wondering if things were going to go back to normal between them or if they would change. After being partners and good friends for eight years they had grown to care for each other and they hoped the other knew that.

* * *

Since the two didn't have to be at the airport until 5 in the evening, they decided to spend their last day like their first, relaxing on the beach. In the late morning, Ziva had fallen asleep as she had been tanning so Tony snuck stealthily away from her side and into the bed and breakfast dressed in just his trunks and flip flops.

Walking into the kitchen and seeing no one there, he grabbed a big, empty bowl and started going through the fridge pulling out bread, turkey lunchmeat, tomato slices, and anything else he thought they would both like. Stuffing everything he had found into the bowl and into his arms, he left some money on the counter then went back out to the beach with a big smile on his face.

Once he had set everything up around Ziva as quietly as he could, he leaned over and tickled her bare stomach. Sitting straight up, she rubbed her eyes confusedly then noticed all the food around her. "What is this?"

"Lunch on the beach! Are you hungry?"

Nodding, she put a hand to her stomach, "Starving!"

"Well good because we've got everything here you would want to make a deluxe sandwich."

The rest of their afternoon was happily spent by eating their picnic lunch, some more relaxing in the sun—not wanting to go back to winter in DC—and then they ended up in an airplane beginning to make their trek back home.

After getting some dinner on the plane and reading through all the magazines in the seat pockets in front of them, Ziva rested her head on Tony's shoulder. As he looked around and people began to slowly fall asleep, he quietly cleared his throat then carefully turned his head to see if Ziva was still awake. Seeing that she was, he looked over her to the night sky. "You know what this reminds me of?"

"Hmmm?" Ziva asked tiredly.

"It reminds me of when we were coming back from Paris."

Ziva smirked, still resting her head on Tony's strong yet comforting shoulder, "Except we aren't protecting a witness or dealing with killer flight attendants."

"It's not really the setting of people that reminds me of it—well, kinda. Never mind." He sighed. Tony wanted to talk about Paris—what had really happened there. When he had written up his bucket list he had never been to Paris but had always wanted to so he was sure to put it down so he'd never forget. Number 19 was along the same lines of number 26 "tell her." He didn't have anyone in mind for either at the time, but he figured he would know who he needed and wanted to tell when the time came.

"I'd like to go back someday," Ziva said softly.

"So would I," he admitted, glad she had broken the awkwardness of the conversation. "One day really isn't enough to see and feel its charm."

"Yes," she agreed. "Next time I go we'll have to go sight-seeing together," Ziva said, not even bothering to correct herself. She liked the way she had said it better, "maybe we can go see the other six wonders of the world too."

"I'd like that. We'll have to do a lot more of our undercover work to get more comp-time though."

"I won't mind," Ziva said with a smile.

Tony smirked then rested his head tiredly on hers. "Me either."

* * *

Once Tony dropped Ziva off at her apartment after making their way through DC's rush hour traffic, he made the short drive through the quiet neighborhood that adjoined their buildings then trudged up to his apartment with luggage in hand.

When he got inside, he dropped his bags by his couch, kicked off his shoes, and threw his coat on the coffee table. He wasn't impressed with the weather and was sad to see snow still plastered all over the whole city. Grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge he sat down at his dining room table and picked up his bucket list.

Smiling, he was able to cross off what had been accomplished over the last week then his eyes ran over what he'd already finished. He couldn't believe that he had done so many things but as he sat there, it really hit him that all of this wasn't about a stupid list. It was about the things he experienced and any relationships he made on the way. Tony soon decided he would finish up a few things left on the list then do something that really mattered.


	7. Chapter 7

**#14 Kick McGee's Butt at Some Video Game **

"I still can't believe it," Tony sighed, pulling out his wallet and handing McGee a twenty dollar bill.

"Told you," McGee smiled, quiet proud of himself as he went to grab a soda out of his fridge.

Tony had come over to McGee's house to watch a highly anticipated football game and the two soon made bets on their favorite team. Now with the game over, Tony defeated, and pizzas eaten, the senior field agent plopped back down onto McGee's couch. While he waited for his friend to come back, his gaze wandered over Tim's wide range of books, records, and the occasional misplaced computer cord.

Putting his eyes back onto the area around the TV, he noticed a full rack of video games. The wide variety peaked his interest so he made his way over to them. Crouching down, he contently scanned through them. A few of the games earned a chuckle but others Tony was very surprised were there.

Coming across a familiar game, he pulled it off the rack. "McGoo, 'would you like to play a game?'" he asked with his best _War Games_ impression.

Walking out of the kitchen, Tim cocked his head to the side. "_Grand Theft Auto_? Really, DiNozzo?"

"Hey," Tony said defensively. "What's the matter with it? I used to play this game almost every day when I was in high school." He shrugged his shoulders. "Brings back good memories I guess."

Sitting down on the couch, McGee smiled. "Sounds fun," he relented. "I haven't had someone to play video games with in a while. You can put it in!"

With a broad grin on his face, Tony put the disc in the player, grabbed the controllers then joined Tim on the couch. "Ready to eat my dust?"

"I don't think so," McGee said, beginning to let his competitive side show. He was determined to win now. He grew up playing many video games while getting familiar with computers. As the game started, both agents sat forward on the couch and it was full speed ahead, pushing for first place.

A few minutes into the round, Tim had a fairly strong lead and was striving to get an even bigger lead but Tony wasn't about to give up. With his own determination set in his eyes, he leaned forward even further, putting the skills he had gained many years ago to the test.

McGee's jaw soon dropped right along with his confidence as Tony's car came right up beside McGee's right as the finish line appeared. Giving the controller everything he had left, Tony pulled himself right into the lead as he broke through the finish line.

The senior field agent just sat there, gawking at the screen that was flashing _"Magnum is the winner!"_

As McGee sat his controller on the floor, he let his back fall against the couch.

Once a few moments of silence passed, Tony turned to McGee. "You up for a round two?"

**#17 Get and Pass on Gibbs' Recipe for Steak and #26 Let Friends Get Closer**

While Tony was sitting at his desk catching up on never-ending paperwork, he checked his watch then looked to Gibbs across the otherwise empty bullpen, "Boss?"

"What is it?" Gibbs asked, keeping his eyes to his own work.

"I want to invite Abby over for dinner tonight."

"Okay. You don't need my permission."

"What I meant was I bought some steaks and I was hoping I could… er, borrow your recipe? It's the best I've ever had and I want to treat Abby to something special."

After contemplating what his senior field agent was asking, he nodded his head. Scribbling down the few elements that made his steak the best, Gibbs handed his agent the recipe.

Accepting it happily, Tony realized if he didn't get down to Abby's lab now, he'd miss her. Shooting his boss a thankful glance, he grabbed his gear, turned his desk light off, and then ran to the elevator.

Once Tony reached Abby's lab, he saw she was still running a few tests on her computers so he quietly walked up behind her and tugged on one of her pigtails. "Hey Abs!" he smiled, startling her.

The scientist jumped and quickly turned around, ready to attack. When she realized it was Tony, she punched his shoulder then was able to relax again. "What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

Tony shook his head. "No heart attacks please but how does a steak dinner sound?"

Her eyes soon lit up and she threw her arms around his neck. "Dinner," she repeated excitedly, "that sounds great! I get pretty lonely during the evenings so I'd love it. Where are we going?"

"My place."

"Are we ordering in?" Abby asked as she wrinkled her brow.

Tony shook his head, deciding not to confuse Abby further. "Nope, I'm cooking!"

"You? Cook steak?"

"Why not?" he asked confusedly.

"Well, you're um…" Abby trailed off.

Tony rolled his eyes playfully, "Why don't you just tell me what you think about my cooking after dinner."

Abby nodded her head, hung up her lab coat, grabbed her purse, and then took Tony's arm as they headed off to his apartment.

* * *

"Red or white wine?" Tony called from the kitchen while Abby sat at the dining room table which Tony had previously decorated with a deep red tablecloth and a single white candle.

"Red sounds great!"

Pausing for a few moments, she surveyed just how nice Tony's apartment was. She had been there many times before playing games on Saturday afternoons but she'd never really taken the time to look at it until now. "Since when did you have such good taste? I mean, this place is decorated nicer than my own."

Tony chuckled as he flipped the steaks over and started heating up green beans in the microwave. "I guess I learned a few things from my dad. He always had classy taste. In furniture, that is."

"Well I like it," she decided, taking another look around the place.

"Why thank you, m'lady!" Tony smiled, putting her dinner in front of her.

A shocked expression crossed Abby's face as Tony sat down, putting his own plate on the table. "It's not burnt!"

"Just wait until you taste it," Tony said, taking a bite of his own.

Picking up her fork and knife a bit hesitantly, she cut a piece off and took her first bite. A few seconds later, her eyes light up. "Tony!" she exclaimed. "This is the best steak I've had in my life! Where in the world did you learn how to cook?"

Chuckling, he looked her in the eye. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Abs."

"Still," she said in shock. "You had to of had some help or else I'm going to be mad."

Earning a confused look from Tony, she continued. "If you could cook this wonderfully for so long and didn't invite me over to dinner every night then I'm gonna be pissed."

"Don't be pissed at me, be pissed at Gibbs! He's the one that gave me the recipe."

Abby put her fork down on her plate. "Oh great, now there's someone else to be pissed at. Geez, things just aren't getting any easier, are they?" she asked with a playful grin. She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess as long as you've told me this much you can tell me what this recipe is so I can try my hand at it."

Tony's eyes soon bugged out. "Me? Tell you Gibbs' secret recipe for steak? I don't think so."

Abby suddenly stood up with her steak knife in hand, pointing it at Tony's neck. "You do realize I can kill you without leaving any forensic evidence behind."

Tony helplessly nodded, carefully taking the knife out of her hand and putting it back on her plate as he headed to the kitchen. "Fine, just don't tell anyone. If Gibbs catches wind of me telling you then we'll both be dead."

Abby giggled as she followed close behind. "Gibbs wouldn't kill me. You? Now it's you I'd be worried about."

Taking the piece of paper off the counter that Gibbs had given him, Tony quickly wrote out a copy and handed it to Abby. "There. Now are you happy?"

She quickly read over the ingredients, making sure they were legitimate then smiled, "Very! Now, let's get back to that yummy dinner!"

Once the two friends were halfway through with their dinners, Abby leaned back in her chair and looked at Tony. "What is this for? Really, what is this all about? I know we're good friends but this…this is a lot for friends."

Tony bit his lip, hearing _let friends get closer_ echo through his mind and set his utensils down, leaning back into his chair. "The thing is, Abby. I need some advice."

Abby soon smiled, happy to be wanted. "Whatcha need advice on?"

Taking a deep breath, he leaned his elbows on the table, trying to find the right words to say. "Well, I want to do something for somebody…something special."

"And who might this someone be?" Abby asked, already pretty sure she knew who he was talking about. She might not always be up in the bullpen but it didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on between two particular agents.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart," she assured him.

"Okay," he began. "It's Ziva. When we went to Australia things… happened and I want to do something that makes her feel special. She deserves it and I just don't know exactly what to do."

A warm smile crossed the scientist's face. "First of all, you don't need to make me this huge dinner just to ask me something, even though I do appreciate it! And second of all, I think you are the second best guy there is out there."

Tony cocked his head to the side. "Second?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders innocently. "I think we all agree that Gibbs is number one."

"Ah," he nodded, "of course. I'm not even going to try and compete with boss-man."

She smiled then continued. "To answer your question, Tony, girls don't like the huge extravagant things. As much as you think we do, we really don't. We also don't like nights you can buy, we like time spent when it's just you and the person you lo—er, like together. If you want to do something special with Ziva then take her somewhere you can be alone, spend some quiet time together. Maybe a picnic or an evening under the stars. Either way, you can't go wrong."

Tony finally let his shoulders relax as he got out of his seat and hugged Abby. "Thank you so, so much, Abs," he whispered into her ear.

The rest of the evening was spent happily chatting over their week and Tony telling Abby about parts of him and Ziva's vacation to the reef. Once she headed home, Tony sat down with his list for probably the hundredth time that month and was able to scratch a few things off then focused in on the very last number; #26 which he planned to cross off in the very near future. Sitting down on his couch, he flipped mindlessly through news channels, beginning to plan just the perfect way to bring Abby's ideas to life.

* * *

_A/N: There is only one more chapter left to this story and it will all be on #26 "Tell Her" so be on the lookout for a full Tiva update! I hope you have all enjoyed this story and I'm sad to see it coming to an end. ~Lynn D._


	8. Chapter 8

**#26 Tell Her**

It was the first Saturday in ages that Tony hadn't hit the snooze button on his 7:30a.m. alarm for he was anxious to get the day started. After a quick shower and breakfast, he strolled down to the corner market where he bought a wide variety of fruit, fried chicken, some snacks, and a few small pastries to finish off the meal he was planning. Once he had checked all the food items off of his list, Tony found a classic red checkered picnic blanket along with a wicker basket.

He didn't want everything to be too predictable but he figured he needed to keep the American traditions alive. Purchasing his items and walking back to his apartment building, he put everything into the trunk of his car then ran back up to his apartment, checking on appointments he had made a few days earlier. Once the clock struck nine, he checked to make sure he had put everything in the car he would need for the day, filled it up with gas, and then headed to Ziva's apartment.

When he reached her door, he took a deep breath then knocked. A few moments later he heard her coming towards it then a short pause when he guessed she was looking through the peephole. Even though being in America had her more at ease there were just some precautions a girl never stopped using.

The door soon opened slightly and Ziva's head with wet curls came around the door. "Tony," she said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, then put on a smile, trying to peek into her apartment. "I wanted to spend the day with you. Something wrong with that?"

A soft smile crossed her face as she opened the door for him and gestured towards her couch as she was heading down the hallway. It was as he was sitting down that he realized she was only dressed in a long, maroon t-shirt since she had just gotten out of the shower.

After waiting for ten minutes and still no Ziva, he became restless and ventured to the hallway that led to her bedroom and bathroom. "Ziva," he called. "Are you going to keep me waiting all day?"

Without hearing an answer, he headed towards her bedroom. Leaning on the door panel, he looked inside. Still not seeing her, he walked past her made bed and into her closet where she had two shirts in her hands trying to decide which to wear. Before letting her know he was right behind her, Tony leaned over her shoulder and pecked her on the cheek. "Both are really nice," he said softly, smiling into her ear.

Leaning her head against his, she returned the smile and bit her lip, still trying to decide what to wear. "Should I wear the purple or blue plaid?" Ziva asked Tony about the two long-sleeved flannel shirts.

Taking another look at them, he shook his head. "I really can't decide. You look nice in everything."

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged her shoulders as she decided on the blue and hung the purple back up. "You are terrible."

"I know." He said with a huge grin on his face, so happy to be with the woman he loved. Over the last few weeks they'd really grown close to each other and were much more relaxed with the other's presence.

After pulling a pair of simple jeans out of the closet, she shooed Tony out of the door so she could get dressed.

In less than fifteen minutes, the two were heading out of the front door into the cool, crisp January air. To Tony's advantage and surprise, the day had turned out to be very nice for D.C. and was just warm enough to get away with only needing a light jacket. Maybe what he was about to do today was supposed to happen, that he was actually doing something that needed to be done, that wanted to be done.

As they headed out to the car, Ziva ran a hand through her loose curls and turned to Tony. "Where are you taking me?" she asked excitedly, happy to have a whole day to spend with her confidant.

Tony put his arm around Ziva's waist as they continued walking and shook his head determined to keep her guessing.

During the ride to where Tony was taking Ziva, she was dying with anticipation, but Tony was sure not to give away his surprise. Twenty-five minutes and what felt like a life time later to Ziva, he pulled into the Great Falls Park which surrounded the Potomac River. Once he paid the small fee for their admission, he drove a few miles to the start of the trails then parked.

As the two got out, Ziva's eyes lit up. "Oh Tony, what a wonderful surprise!"

Smiling that he'd made her happy, he grabbed the water bottles out of the trunk when she wasn't looking so she wouldn't see what else he had in store for her.

Once the two had decided on a three mile trail that led to the falls, they ventured out. Today it didn't take Ziva slipping for it to result in them holding hands, it had just become the natural thing to do—an extra comfort the two shared with each other.

While they walked slowly to the falls, they discussed some of their favorite things, activities, and places. It was something many would call a simple conversation, but in reality it was very complex. It was filled with Tony and Ziva telling each other things about themselves they'd never known before. A new and fresh window full of discovery and excitement—a true sign that they were becoming something they'd never been before.

They had gained a whole new perspective on what their relationship could and maybe even would be. Something told the two of them on that trail that after today things would be very different than what their first eight years of partnership had ever brought. It was what the next eight years of partnership held that they both looked forward to. Each new day was a new chance to discover, enlighten, and love.

When they had reached the end of the trail and to what was the beginning of the rushing falls and the humongous rocks, it didn't take long for the scenery to take their breath away. The skies were a beautiful baby blue with just a few very soft and light clouds. It was as if the whole area had been cut out of heaven and placed in between a huge forest of towering trees that were there to protect the beauty that had been put there.

Everything was almost a symbol that though it may be a long and treacherous time to get through a thickly wooded area where there were set-backs, the pay-off in return for going through so much was so worth it that Tony himself knew he would do it again in an instant.

Neither of them really knew how long they stood there in complete silence— though still appreciating each other's company—completely enthralled in the feeling of awe as well as an honest submission to nature, allowing themselves to realize that they were so small in this world that was filled with pain, yes, but it was also overpowered with un-mistakable beauty and power.

* * *

The sun piercing into Tony's eyes brought him out of his wondrous trance and again became aware of his presence and surroundings. Checking his watch, he realized it was already half past noon and they had been standing there for over an hour.

After softly nudging Ziva, they started back on the trail with a whole new outlook on just how marvelous some places could be in contrast to what they saw every day by working in a world of crime and terror.

When they reached the car, Ziva leaned on the roof which Tony did as well and she smiled at him. "Thank you for such a wonderful morning!"

Smirking, Tony patted the roof as he got into the driver's seat. "Oh Ziva, you ain't seen nothing yet."

Cocking her head to the side with a curious expression, she slid in next to him in the passenger's seat as they drove off to another side of the park.

* * *

While Tony was driving, Ziva turned her head away from the window then directed her gaze to Tony. She couldn't have asked for a better person in her life. He was someone that cared for her, made her smile, and allowed her to look forward to each day knowing he'd be right alongside of her.

Momentarily, they arrived at the park's café where they shared a lunch then Tony took her hand and led her to the nearby horse stables. As the barn came into sight, Ziva shook her head in disbelief. Somehow this man holding her hand knew so much about her. Even though she didn't open up to him that often, he caught on to every detail that she did share and for that, she was amazed.

When they had reached the stable's manager, an older man that looked to be in love with his job, he smiled and walked towards the partners and shook their hands. "Howdy," he said with a strong southern accent. "I'm Luke, I run the stables here at the falls. Are you Mr. DiNozzo?" he asked, looking to Tony.

"That I am," Tony said happily, looking towards a baffled Ziva. "Did I make my reservation in time?"

"Yes you did! Since it's January we don't have a lot of reservations coming in but it turned out to be a perfect day for riding the trails. There are only three horses out on the trails at the moment so you'll almost have your pick."

"Great," Tony said enthusiastically.

After looking at each and every horse in the barn Ziva decided on a brown Arabian and Tony decided on a black pinto with a white mane.

Taking a trail map from Luke once Ziva had begun bridling and saddling her horse in the barn, Tony quickly ran over to the trunk of his car and took out the basket then had the manager help him attach the basket to the back of his saddle as well as gladly accepted the help of bridling the beast.

Minutes later, Ziva came out of the barn already atop her horse so Tony easily mounted his horse, from some practice and lessons from Gibbs, then they were off on another adventure.

Since Ziva was more comfortable with riding, she went ahead of Tony and had a blast trotting through the well cleared trail.

While she had been in the barn, Tony had Luke mark a rarely used trail that led to a cleared meadow so while Ziva was riding and enjoying the wind rushing around her, having that feeling of freedom, Tony was carefully keeping track of where they were for if he wasn't careful he would miss the unmarked trail.

Less than a half a mile later, Tony spotted where they needed to cut off into the woods and called to Ziva who was quite a ways ahead of him. A few moments later, she came trotting to him. "What is it?"

"Let's take this trail," he said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Wrinkling her brow, she turned to Tony. "What trail?"

"This one," Tony insisted, pointing towards the general area.

Scratching her forehead, Ziva just shrugged her shoulders. "Lead the way."

* * *

Though it wasn't as short as Tony would have liked, they finally made it through the more vigorous trail and Ziva's jaw soon dropped as a vast meadow was suddenly before them. Just like the falls, it was completed isolated by trees and the silence was only disturbed by the birds chirping and the wind rushing through the tall grass.

It didn't take long for the two horses to realize that there was an immense amount of grass for them to snack on so Tony and Ziva dismounted and let the animals wander the field, knowing they wouldn't lose sight of them anytime soon.

Before Tony's horse set off to go get its lunch, he took the basket off the saddle and began searching for the perfect area to lay out their blanket. Ziva quickly caught on to what Tony was planning and helped search with him. Not long after, they had settled on a spot near the back wall of trees which was away from the horses.

Once their blanket was set out and shoes kicked off, the two started to get comfortable. After a number of varying positions with Tony sitting up and Ziva lying down and vice versa, Ziva just ended up resting her head on Tony's chest as he laid down, supporting his head with his left arm and holding Ziva in his right, never wanting to let her go.

Without either of their knowledge, they both drifted off to sleep with the breeze lightly blowing across their faces plus the comfort of being in each other's arms.

Nearly forty-five minutes later, they both woke to the sound of the horses whinnying. Fearing something was wrong, Tony and Ziva shot up and looked to the direction of the sound but were soon able to breathe a sigh of relief when they realized the two animals had just been frolicking around, enjoying the freedom of the wide area.

Since it was just past five, Tony decided it was probably time for dinner. With the weather being so cool, Tony didn't have to bring along the cooler and had put all of the food into the basket. Reaching over to it, he patted Ziva's arm who had dozed back to sleep in the comfort of her company. As she sat up, she was amazed yet again while he began to set out the plates and food.

Halfway through their all-American picnic, Ziva put down her chicken leg and leaned back onto her right arm, looking Tony right into his eyes. "Why are you doing all of this?"

Tony swallowed his strawberry then returned her gaze. "I wanted to do something for you. You've been there so much for me I just wanted to repay you."

She shook her head. "No, it is you who has always been there for me. I do not deserve—"

"—you deserve the world, Ziva," he quickly interjected, "and some days I don't think I could live in the world without you," Tony spit out, almost not realizing what he was saying.

It had been burning in his mind just what he would say today and he didn't know if he'd ever be able to say what he wanted to, what he really meant. Now that he had actually said what he'd meant and realized that it felt good to tell the woman he loved all of this, he continued.

"You are the one person who lights up my life. Your smile makes me smile. I thank God every day that I get to spend my days with you. You are my life, Ziva. I want to keep spending these days with you like we have but not just as partners… as something more. You make everything so much better. When we were in Australia I realized all of this. I realized that just having you as a co-worker wasn't enough. I thought that I could handle just a professional relationship with you but whe—when we kissed it hit me that you felt the same way. That we are meant for each other. That we both care. I love you, Ziva."

When he looked up, Ziva had a tear running down her cheek with another smile that lit up his world and she moved even closer to his side. Putting a hand on his cheek she leaned over and kissed him slowly.

After a few moments, she pulled back a bit then wiped a tear away. "Tony, I love you too," she said with pure honesty and relief.

The rest of the evening was spent cuddling with each other and opening up to a whole new level after having the comfort of knowing neither would leave the other anytime soon. As the stars began to come out, Tony began pointing out constellations and comets with Ziva listening intently, happy to cuddle into her partner's embrace.

Once the moon came out, the two decided it was time to pack things in and head for the stables. Tony was so glad he had made all-day reservations so they wouldn't have a time limit on the day that neither thought could have been more perfect.

After they made it back to the well-marked trail, Tony and Ziva rode side by side, hand in hand, excited to start a new life together.

* * *

As the days and weeks passed, a copy of Tony's bucket list had been hung in both of their apartments as a reminder of what it had done to each of their lives separately and as a whole.

Ziva soon came up with the idea to make their own bucket list, things to do together.

The first three were definitely their favorites:

1. Visit the other six wonders of the world

2. Go to Tel-Aviv together

3. Let each day be filled with wonder and happiness.

**The End**

* * *

_A/N: WOW! Another story has finally ended. It feels like I just started this yesterday! I hope you all enjoyed this and thank you for staying with me through this adventure. Please review and tell me how you thought I handled this story plus your favorite parts! Thank you again for being such awesome readers! ~Lynn D. _


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